This year marks 80 years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As we reflect on this solemn anniversary, we invite you to join Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility for our annual memorial event honoring the lives lost, the survivors (hibakusha), and the global movement to abolish nuclear weapons.
Our 2025 theme,
🎨 Never Again: Art Speaks Where Words Fail — Art’s Enduring Protest 80 Years Later
highlights the role of art as an enduring protest—telling stories, expressing grief, and inspiring action when words alone cannot.
Â
The memorial will feature local speakers, artists, and performers including:
Performers:
- Portland Taiko
- BRAVO Youth Orchestra Quartet
- Tsubaki Bayou Doukoukai
M/C:
Dr. Linda Tamura, Professor Emerita of Education, Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.
She is a Sansei (third generation Japanese American) and daughter of a World War II veteran. Raised on an orchard in Hood River, Oregon, Linda is also the granddaughter of Japanese immigrants. In addition to Nisei Soldiers Break their Silence, Linda is the author of Hood River Issei.Â
She is very involved in projects, exhibits, and organizations educating and celebrating the history of Japanese Americans and inclusion in Oregon. As a former elementary school teacher and university professor, Dr. Linda Tamura is a teacher of teachers and an educational leader.
You can find her website here
Keynote Speaker:
Todd Yuzuriha - Co-Founder of the Minidoka Swing Band
Speaker:
Emily Washines, MPA and scholar - is an enrolled Yakama Nation tribal member with Cree and Skokomish lineage. Her blog, Native Friends, focuses on history and culture. Building understanding and support for Native Americans is evident in her films, writing, speaking, and exhibits. Emlily received a 2025 Emmy Nomination for her cultural consultant work on the film, “Billy’s Magic.” Her research topics include the Yakama War, women’s rights, traditional knowledge, resource management, fishing rights, and food sovereignty. She teaches at Yakima Valley College and The Evergreen State College. She is a board member on the Museum of Culture and Environment, Columbia Riverkeeper, and Boys and Girls Club of the Yakama Nation. She hosts the War Cry Podcast. She lives on the Yakama reservation with her husband and three children.
Chisao Hata is a performance artist, community organizer and anti-nuclear activist. Her poetic movement performances have been featured in annual Hiroshima Day memorials. Chisao is an artist leader. She is a founder of Portland Taiko, Theater Diaspora and Oregon Rises Above Hate, and serves on the Advisory Committee for Physicians for Social Responsibility.
You can find her website here
Pat HooverÂ
Â
We hope you will gather with us in remembrance, resistance, and hope.
➡️ Please mark your calendar and plan to attend.
More details and RSVP information will be shared in the coming weeks.
If you would like to volunteer at the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Memorial, please contact Matthew Moran at [email protected]
We are incredibly thankful to the current sponsors of the 2025 Hiroshima and Nagasaki Memorial.
- Oregon PSR
- Japanese American Museum of Oregon
- Japanese Americans Citizens League
- Veterans for Peace PDX
- Hiroshima Club
- Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education
- Columbia River Keepers
- Multnomah Meeting of Friends
- Peace and Justice Team of All Saints Episcopal Church, Vancouver
If you are interested in sponsoring this year's event, please contact Matthew Moran at [email protected]
If you’d like to support the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Planning Committee please consider making a donation today.
